Go With the Flow
by Minstrel of the Mint
Summary: While at the lake, Jinmay confesses that she can't swim. Could a certain dark-haired team leader show her the basics? Chinmay


Me: How long has it been since I've written a complete story? The answer: _Too long_. I've been neglecting my place in this site, and I apologize. Everything has just been . . . _hectic_ for a long while. This is just a cute little story with Chinmay and small Spova. LAME TITLE.

I don't really think I should do that one segment you guys (might) know, _Special Guest_, anymore. Sorry! **:| **

Title: Go With the Flow

Pairing: Chinmay (Chiro/Jinmay)

Summary: While at the lake, Jinmay confesses that she can't swim. Could a certain dark-haired team leader show her the basics? Chinmay

Word Count: 4480 words

Disclaimer: THIS STORY IS MADE PURELY FOR ENTERTAINMENT/FANFIC REASONS. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO CIRO NIELI

* * *

It was that time of year again that everyone felt very fickle about: _summer_. On one hand, it was a time to relax from school, work, and a few troubles to just have fun; no rules, no problems, and no more Skeleton King.

On the other hand, it was hot. _Scorching_ hot. . .

Skeleton King had been successfully defeated, although results envolving many injuries, but none of the team's alllies had been killed. Antauri, as always, wisely suggested sending the decapitated head of the Evil One to a distant and uninhabited planet while Mandarin spent the remainder of his days rotting once again on Ranger 7, this time, under the heaviest guard that the galaxy could prepare.

The team returned to Shuggazoom as bigger heroes than before, awarding them, and their allies, as 'The Soul Protectors of the Universe,' which was the highest honor man, or monkey, could ever posses in the universe. Sprx joked during the ceremony that the honorific name of the Hyperforce obviously implied what it said, thus being followed by a large blow to the top of his head by his new girlfriend, Nova.

"Love comes in all forms, I suppose." Gibson said, poking Sprx with his foot to see if he was breathing.

Life began with a clean slate for the team; still defending Shuggazoom from the remains of the Skeleton King's broken army, enforcing justice throughout the galaxy, and, at times, stopping teenagers from robbing gas stations, though they tried to avoid blowing up a wall and yelling out battle cries. Crime had slowed down due to the Evil One's defeat, so now the team could relax more than they ever could!

It truly was wonderful. . .from time to time.

"For Shuggazoom's sake, TURN THAT HEATER DOWN!" A yellow monkey yelled noisily from inside a giant robot, causing it to shake. Frankly, she couldn't make up her mind on which was worse: snow or heat. "It's too hot in here!"

Chiro smiled lazily as he plopped on the newly acquired 'team couch,' presented as a gift from the Shuggazoom Furniture Factory from their return, as Jinmay handed him another apple slice with peanut butter.

The robot girl smiled also, but began to fan herself with her hand. "She has a point, Chiro," she said, taking a bite of her own apple slice. "It's _way _too hot. We should go somewhere. . .The entire team."

The teenager swallowed his slice whole and nodded. "Yeah, it is. We shouldn't just sit here and sweat our skin off. It's summer, for crying out loud!"

"Agreed," a silver monkey entered the room while holding Otto and Sprx by their robotic ears.

"These two need to stop wrestling inside of the training room. We need to get out more." He slightly tugged on their ears, causing them to wince.

The green and red monkeys had become rather restless wth their training now that Skeleton King was gone; perhaps they needed something to fill the void of uncontrollable adrenaline that they usually felt for the bag of bones whenever he stirred up trouble in Shuggazoom. How else did they ever defeat the man before without that extra push?

Nova surely wasn't any better. She had already beaten the stuffing/sand/various metals out of her punching dummies and haning bags, but it wasn't the same triumphant feeling whenever she helped justice make its way through. No matter how many of her sparring dolls she destroyed, the chairs she threw out of random windows, and the screws and bolts she bit and crushed between her teeth, it wouldn't replace that rushing love she knew by busting Bone-bag.

"You just _had _to scream 'help,' didn't you, Otto?" said Sprx, crossing his arms and sticking out his lower lip like a child about to be punished. "You're such a chicken."

Otto's face went bitter. "You had my head in a sleeper-hold! It kinda hurt, Sprx! Who taught you that hold anyways?"

"Nova, duh!"

"ENOUGH!" Frustrated, Antauri charged his Power Primate to push them into the opposite walls, making them crash forcefully. He wiped his hands together and continued, ignoring the new gaping holes in the robot. "Now, this heat is becoming quite irritating. I believe we should go to that water hole we went to last year. After all, Chiro can swim now."

Chiro blushed as he covered Jinmay's ears. "Shh! She doesn't need to know that, Antauri!"

Playfully, she swatted at his hands and smiled. "Oh, Chiro, calm down! It wouldn't make any difference to me."

"Fine, whatever." He slouched down so that Antauri wouldn't see his own blush. "But that is a good idea, Antauri. Round up the guys! We're going swimming! You'll love it, Jinmay. Robots can swim, right?"

For a moment, Jinmay remained silent. She looked nervous, glaring at the floor. "Chiro, I'm an actdroid, b-but—" (**A/N**: An 'actdroid' is a robot with humanoid features.)

"Then it's settled!" exclaimed the dark-haired boy, jumping up from his seat. "You'll need a swim-suit, though. But I'm sure we can pick one up now. The best time to swim at the lake is when it's as hot as it can get!"

"Chiro, I don't—"

Before she could finish, an excited Chiro began pulling her by the wrist, through the halls of the robot, and out the front door located in the foot, not once taking a breath from his endless rant. She assumed that they were heading towards the mall or something to get her suit.

By nature, she was a bit nervous. She had never really known what 'swimming' meant, even though she'd heard of it only so many times. What would the team think if they knew she couldn't swim? More important to her, what would Chiro think of it? It was mind-churning.

Swimming had to be something good. Chiro would never let his team put up with something dangerous just for fun. He was better than that. She knew Chiro only wanted what was best for the team, even if it was for something as small as a little heat. And the heat _was_ pretty bad.

Jinmay smiled with relief.

Maybe she was just being paranoid — after all, what harm could swimming do to a robot anyway?

***

The rest of the day remained as lovely as any summer day should have been. The lake was serene and just the right temperature, perfect for swimming. It wasn't too crowded at all; it just seemed to be the monkey team. It looked delightfully calm.

Antauri was silently meditating underneath a shady tree, peaceful as ever and keeping to himself, while Nova and Gibson were floating slowly in the lake. Yet, Jinmay, Chiro, Sprx, and Otto were nowhere to be seen. . .

"Ahh, this feels _great_. . ." Nova sighed with absolute bliss, swimming on her back in the refreshing water.

Gibson nodded in agreement. "I concur, my friend. . ."

"Nothing's better than relaxing in a cool, calming—"

"CANNONBALLLLLL!" Suddenly, three orbs of orange, green, and red appeared over-head, plummeting into the water with a huge wave that followed afterwards.

Nova and Gibson shreiked loudly as the giant wave crashed over them. As expected after a few seconds, Otto, Sprx, and Chiro resurfaced, all smiling widely and slapping each other with high-fives.

"Sprx!" The yellow monkey grabbed his collar and growled angrily, cuing Otto and Chiro to swim away as quickly as their legs and arms could take them. "What. Are. You. DOING?"

With his signature goofy grin, he tried to pull her monster grip off of himself. "Chill, Novie, we were just havin' a little fun. So what if you got a little wet? We're already in a lake! Sheesh, work your temper a bit."

Before he could react, or even see it coming and squeal, a large yellow fist hit him roughly in the side of the head, sending him flying backwards and skipping on the water like a flat rock. Back on land, Antauri's outward expression remained the same, but on the inside, he was cackling happily at his friends.

Nova clenched her teeth so hard she could almost feel them crack. "Call me Novie again, and I'll have your tail for dinner!"

Sooner than Sprx had time to resurface out of the water, Nova plunged in after him, wrestling in a way that only she would describe as 'playful.' "I double-dare you to call me by that name again, Sparky!" Her voice rang so loudly that it made the entire lake vibrate.

Gibson, almost as angry as Nova, trudged back onto land with a bitter frown twisted on his lips. "Well, it was relaxing while it lasted. . ." He reached for his neatly folded blue towel resting on a branch and wrapped it around his shoulders, then sat cross-legged next to a peaceful Antauri. "I say, Antauri, I haven't seen Jinmay since Nova and I got into the water. Have you seen where she went off to?"

"I'm sure it's nothing we must worry ourselves with, my friend." Antauri said, lifting one eyelid and giving a crooked smile. "Jinmay could possibly be wondering around the lake, taking in its natural beauty for as long as she can. I know that's something you and I would do. . ."

"True as though that may be," the scientist monkey scratched his chin in thought. "However, Jinmay isn't either you, nor I. She is technically a teenage girl. What would a teenage girl be doing at a lake all by herself?"

Otto abrubtly appeared next to Gibson, hanging upsidedown from a tree branch and holding a beach ball underneath his arm. "She's probably shy about that bathing suit Chiro bought with her. Tons of girls are shy about swimming, especially if it's their first time actually _trying on_ a suit. Girls have insecurity problems about their bodies or whatever girls worry about. . .No offense Nova!" He hollered to her as she continued to wrestle Sprx against his will.

"None taken!" She yelled back, her arm firmly around her boyfriend's neck. Nova flopped the two of them backwards, sending them into the water. Luckily for Sprx, he took a sharp intake of breath. He knew how long Nova could hold her own breath; she lived with a bunch of boys longer than he could count, and since they were monkeys, there was a noticable difference. (**A/N**: That even felt gross to type!)

"I beg your pardon, Otto," Gibson frowned, "H-How do you know so much about," he cleared his throat, "_females_?"

"Jinmay keeps a lot of those chick magazines laying around the robot." Otto grinnined sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "I also know that my star sign is Sagittarius, my best day is Thursday, my tree is an oak, my best celebrity match would be Johnny Depp, and I won't usually be found in skinny jeans!" (**A/N**: Don't even know if that's true.)

Chiro shook off the sudden thought of Otto in skinny jeans with Johnny Depp and climbed out of the water, shaking the remaining drops from his jet black hair. "Well, whatever it is, I'm going to go find her. Make sure Nova doesn't drown Sprx." He instructed, making a face to the couple that was still wreslting in the water.

As the team leader walked along the farther shore of the lake, he began to think to himself. _She wouldn't be embarrassed, would she? Jinmay looks great in that suit! She even said that she likes it. _He stopped in his tracks. _Then why is she hiding. . .?_

***

Jinmay shuddered as she glared at the water that was a mere few inches from touching her feet.

What did she have to worry about? The team was nowhere in sight. And she made sure she was waterproof by pouring a jug of water over her head, which scared the picnickers away, but she knew she would be safe.

But there was something about the thought of being surrounded by water that made her teeth set on edge.

Being in a lake, completely fenced in by something that could take her down just like that. It was like she was pretending to be a daredevil, doing something that could quickly lead to death. Nova had taught her how to be a fighter and protect herself whenever she would be in danger, but how could she fight off water if it could slip through her fingers?

In easier terms: water freaked her out.

She tentatively lifted her foot and lowered it into the lake. If not a split second after her big toe hit the water, she quickly scrambled back and hid behind the nearest tree, close to the point where she would be hyperventilating.

"C'mon Jinmay. . ." She urged to herself, trying to gather her courage. With a sigh, she took the ties that held both of her pigtails together gently pulled them out and let her light pink hair fall to her shoulders. She repeatedly ran her fingers through her hair, trying to straighten her many tangles.

Chiro had picked out a cute tankini (**A/N**: Tankini is a swimsuit that looks like a tanktop for the upper part of the swimwear) suit that was pink with white lacings, decorated with yellow bejeweled flowers that curled along her left breast and sloped down to the top of her belly button. She didn't mind the suit very much, but she couldn't see why humans wore them at all. They were just undergarments, right?

"It's just. . .water. If Chiro can do it, then so can yo—"

"Jinmay?" A voice said from behind her, making her squeak.

She immediately spun around to see Chiro, then sighed with such sweet relief. "Oh, Chiro, it's you. Sorry, I just, uh, I'm getting a good look at the lake. You know, seeing if it's clean and stuff before I jump in!" She laughed nervously.

"Well, that's what Antauri said! I knew you wouldn't be hiding from us." Chiro grinned widely, taking his girlfriend by the hand and leading her back to the others. "And, by the way. . ." He blushed slightly. "You. . .look really pretty with your hair down."

Even though she blsuhed also, she pulled her hand back and shut her eyes as tightly as she could. "Chiro, I can't! I-I just can't!"

He gave a confused stare. "Can't what?"

"I. . .I can't swim." She answered shamefully, dipping her head down at her bare feet. It felt like tears in her eyes were about to fall, but she tried to keep them in so that she couldn't humiliate herself anymore. He kept silent for a long while, just watching her, even though she didn't move an inch. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before we came here, or when you bought me this suit. Y-You just seemed so excited about coming here that I wasn't thinking—"

Delicately, and quick enough before she could realize, he wrapped his bare arms around her shoulders and kept her in a gentle embrace. "Aw, Jinmay. . ." He couldn't believe she was getting worked up over something like that.

Of all the reactions she was expecting, _that_ wasn't one of them.

"I don't mind if you can't swim." He continued. "It wouldn't make any difference to me. . .You'd still be that sweet robot girl that I fell for the first time I saw you. . ." He laughed a little on the inside; she still didn't know that he fell an estimated three hundred feet when he first saw her.

For that moment, all she could do was smile.

After a small pause, Chiro finally said,"Why don't I teach you how to swim, Jinmay?" With a broad smile, he threw his arm around her shoulder and kept going towards the team, but she didn't struggle. "It'll be fun! You seriously don't know what you're missing. I once heard that you can be more graceful in the water, but I guess we'll start with the basics. I learned a few swimming techniques; the breast stroke I think is one. . ."

As her boyfriend continued to speak relentlessly about swimming, she only looked hopefully into his beautiful blue eyes, and repeated in her mind that she could always trust him.

***

"You're going to have to go in there some time, Jinmay." Nova said colorlessly, shaking the water out of her golden fur. "It's not going to bite you or anything."

Otto was restlessly dunking Sprx's head in the water when he call out to the girl also. "Yeah! Come on in! The water's great!"

Chiro was already ankle-deep in the lake, holding out his hand for the robot girl to join him, but she still stood at the shore, biting her bottom lip. Otto and Sprx were still tackling each other in the deeper ends of the lake to keep out of their way (which was a miraculous thing, considering that he and Nova had been battling for a long while), but they still tried to watch them whenever they were still enough. Antauri and Gibson remained underneath the tree, but they were playing a breif game of 'lifeguard' until Jinmay could swim with courage.

"A-Are you sure this is safe Chiro? You won't let me drown, will you?" She asked without thought.

Chiro drew an imaginary X over his chest and grinned. "Cross my heart. Now come on in!"

"Um. . .o-okay," the robot girl responded, not taking her eyes off the lake. "I-I can do this. Alright. . .Here I go!" With a small sparkle in her eyes, she ran into Chiro's arms with a flying hug that sent him farther back into the water and refused to let go. She didn't care if she looked foolish; she just wanted to get over her fear at any cost.

Chiro smiled calmly and held onto her, pulling her deeper as he walked backwards in the water. Her grip wasn't very strong like Nova's, but he didn't mind at all. It was sort of like a friendly hug.

She could feel the water rise up, closer and closer to her waist, and she was about to jump out of his arms, but he stopped at the mid section of her stomach. With caution, she lifted one eyelid to see that he hadn't let go either. Jinmay looked around her franticly, seeing the water surround her from her feet up.

But she didn't scream. It amazed her that she didn't even yelp.

While relaxing her muscles, she smiled softly at the water, seeing her and Chiro's reflection together ripple around them.

"Well. . .This is. . .nice." said Jinmay, loosening her grip around his neck and letting her hands rest on his shoulders. "I-I suppose."

"Glad you see it my way!" To his discontent, he tried to push her farther away so that she could stand on her own, but her grip got tighter once she realized what he was doing. He looked into her worried eyes and attempted to make his voice sound as comforting as it could be.

"You can trust me Jinmay. I won't let you drown. Just relax. . .Slowly kick your feet and move your arms under the surface of the water. Just let your body float; think weightless things if you have to. Feel the water move around you, and just go with it's flow."

She could never distrust that voice.

With a sharp intake of breath that almost hurt her lungs, she let go, letting the water rise a little higher to the bottom of her breasts. The water was slightly colder than she expected, but it was a nice refreshing feeling.

Lightly, she took her index finger and touched the surface of the water around her, watching the many reflections of trees, the team, and her with Chiro ripple once again. It was like looking into a magical picture frame.

Smiling like an astounded child, she began to move around in the lake, being ever so careful not to go any deeper, but she found the more she moved around, the better she got.

"Chiro, this is great!" Jinmay gave a burst of giddy laughter.

He gestured her back over and smiled. "I'm glad you're having fun. Now try this," he instructed, performing a normal breast stroke around her. "This is called a breast stroke."

She easily copied him, still grinning.

"Good. Now, do this," Chiro let himself fall slightly backwards, kicked his legs up to the surface, and began to float on his back. "This is back stroke."

She looked uncertainly at him, but he stretched out his arms to let her back rest on them. With a trustful smile, she leaned backwards and fell into his arms.

Seeing that she was beginning to relax, Chiro slowly moved his arms out from under her and showed her his hands, letting him know that he wasn't supporting her.

"Beautiful." He said, flashing a brilliant smile. "Let's keep going. . ."

***

After thirty minutes of swimming around, and the occasional splash to the face, Jinmay had the bravery to swim on her own, without the superision of Chiro or the monkeys.

She was astounded how quickly she could come to love something that she feared a short while ago. But she also knew that love was a strange thing. All kinds of love, she knew, could never be explained.

Chiro watched the amazed robot girl explore and discover the water around her, half-smiling like a content adult. She began to twirl and spin, laughing and smiling, and showing him a smile that was meant for only him every now and again, making his stomach knot.

He snapped out of his daze when he felt a sharp but brief impact to the back of his head. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw Nova, with her activated gloves, holding a good amount of rocks in her giant fist.

"Wake up Romeo, your girlfriend learned how to hold her breath!"

His eyes widened, then began looking through the water for Jinmay. No way in the world would he lose her to something as stupid as drowning! He'd rather jump in a vat of bubble gum and stay there for ten years than watch her drown, even if she lived afterwards.

Right at the point where he thought what kind of gum would be less sticky, something light jumped on his back, with a pair of arms and legs wrapping around him as well, and made him plunge forward with a painful _SPLASH!_

Antauri and Gibson smirked while Nova, Otto, and Sprx cracked up with laughter. Jinmay had emerged from behind Chiro and tackled him forward, not to their surprise though. Since everyone else was wrestling that day, they could only assume the robot girl would catch on also.

After a few moments, Chiro rose from the water slowly, a playfully evil look in his eyes.

Jinmay came up after him, smiling as innocently as she could. "I'm really glad you talked me into swimming! It's really not that bad. . ." She splashed a good amount of water in his face and then dove back under, her smile never leaving.

After wiping his face with his wrinkled hand, he dove under after her.

Gibson smiled. "Ah, young love. . .It's so strange these days, isn't it? Years ago, a dozen roses couldn't make a woman fall in love with a man. Yet, now, all it takes is a simple swimming lesson."

"And we have the strangest way of expressing it also," Nova sighed happily, watching Chiro and Jinmay with pride. She sat down next to the scientist monkey, still wrapped in her WWE towel, and took a deep breath. Nova averted her eyes to Antauri. "What say you, Antauri?"

Antauri, before returning to his meditative state, smiled softly and chuckled, "It is always easier to believe than to deny — Our minds could always be changed slightly by the voice of someone important than ourselves."

Nova rolled her eyes and slapped the back of his head. "You stay that way on the walk home, I'll kick your butt."

***

Before they were called out of the water, Jinmay threw herself into his arms again, but he held her so closely that he could feel her heartbeat against his chest.

He smiled halfway and whispered a word that sent shivers down her back: "_Beautiful. . ._"

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Me: No flames if you review, thank you!


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